The Yosemite Murders: 15 Disturbing Facts About the Haunting Story (2024)

The Yosemite Murders were a series of murders which were carried out by Cary Anthony Stayner who was born on 13^th August 1971. Cary Anthony is also known as the Yosemite Park Killer of the Yosemite Killer. He is the brother of kidnapping victim Steven Stayner, Steven was kidnapped when they were young.

Cary murdered four women between February and July 1999. He is also suspected of murdering other women. Cary carried out the murders in Mariposa County near Yosemite National Park, California.

At the age of three, Cary was diagnosed with a rare disease, trichotillomania which got him to get bullied and lose confidence. From the age of seven, Cary revealed that he had fantasies of abducting and killing women. After his brother’s kidnapping, he developed sexual deviancy and even exposed himself to a friend of his sister.

Before he began his killing spree, Cary worked as a window installer at a glass company where he had various fantasies of murdering his co-workers. At first, he fantasized about ramming a truck into the place of work, killing everyone, and setting the place on fire. He even went ahead and tried to kill himself using carbon monoxide.

Cary began his killing spree in 1999, two years after being employed at the Cedar Lodge motel where he found his victims. 42-year-old Carole Evon Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juliana “Juli” Sund, and 16-year-old Argentine exchange student Silvina Pelosso were his first victims. 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong was his last confirmed victim.

Cary is suspected to have murdered four other people. He was sentenced to death for the four confirmed murders. He is currently on death row in California at the San Quentin State Prison.

Here are the 15 Disturbing Facts About the Haunting Story of the Yosemite Murders:

1. The Yosemite Killer Had Fantasies of Abducting & Killing Women Since He Was 7

On 13^th August 1961, Cary Anthony Stayner was born to Delbert Foy and his mother Kay Stayner in Merced California as the third born of five children. At the age of three, Cary was diagnosed with trichotillomania which made him get bullied a lot.

The bullying did not make him lose confident only as he had several evil fantasies. By the age of seven, Cary had fantasies of kidnapping and murdering women.

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2. He Developed Sexual Deviancy After His Brother’s Kidnapping

Another tragic event happened in the life of Cary which changed his personality. On 4^th December 1972, 7-year-old Steven, the younger brother of Cary was abducted by Kenneth Parnell, a child molester.

This incident changed the lives of their parents as Steve was gone until when he was 14 years old when he escaped with another survivor. During this period, Cary developed sexual deviancy.

3. The Yosemite Park Killer Had Fantasies of Gang Raping Women & Murdering People Before His Teenage & Early Adult Life

The life of the Yosemite killer was full of evil fantasies about women and society in general. Before he became a teenager, he had fantasies of gang-raping women which was contributed largely to the exposure to his sister’s friend who was staying at their place.

As a young adult, Cary was employed by a glass company where he had fantasies of killing his colleague. He had fantasies of ramming a truck, killing the people in the company, and setting it up on fire. Cary had also tried to take his life by gassing himself with carbon monoxide.

4. Cary’s Confirmed Murders Are of Four Victims

After losing his job at the glass company, Cary was hired as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge Motel in 1997. He found his confirmed victims residing at the motel.

During his killing spree between February and July 1999, he murdered four females. They were two women and two teenagers.

5. His First Two Victims Were Burned Beyond Recognition

42-year-old Carole Evon Sund and 16-year-old Argentine exchange student Silvina Pelosso were his first two victims. On 18^th March 1999, the bodies of the two were found in the trunk of Carole’s rental car.

Their bodies had been burned extensively beyond recognition which made it hard for investigators during their investigations. Detectives were forced to use their dental records to help in getting their identities.

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6. Carole Was Strangled & Shot While Silvina Was Raped & Shot

After getting the identities of the badly burned bodies, the detectives began determining how the two were murdered. They found out that the murders were so gruesome.

42-year-old Carole Evon Sund was strangled using and rope then she was shot to death. 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso was raped by Cary before she was shot dead.

7. A Note Containing A Map To The Third Victim Was Sent to the Police

The discovery of the bodies of Carole and Silvina was not the end of the investigations as the 15-year-old daughter of Carole was missing. A week later, the police were shocked by what they received.

The police got a note which contained a hand-drawn map that indicated the location of the third victim. The note read, “We had fun with this one.” 15-year-old Julian Sund’s location was found.

8. Julian Was Raped & Her Neck Had Been Cut

The investigators got the location of where the body of Carole’s daughter, Julian Sund had been disposed of. Julian had gone through a lot of gruesome torture before she was murdered. She had been raped by the Yosemite Killer and her throat had been slit.

9. The Yosemite Killer Decapitated His Forth Confirmed Victim

On 22^nd July 1999, the body of the fourth victim of the Yosemite Killer was discovered. 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong, an employee of Yosemite Institute and naturalist was murdered by the Yosemite Killer.

The decapitated body of Joie Ruth Armstrong was discovered. Eyewitnesses revealed that they had seen a blue 1972 International Scout parked out of her cabin on 21^st July. Cary was traced and marked as the prime suspect in the case.

10. Cary Confessed to the Four Murders After His Arrest

After the witnesses’ account, detectives got a good lead and caught up with Cary Anthony Stayner. FBI agents John Boles and Jeff Rinek manage to arrest Cary from the Laguna del Sol nudist resort.

He was taken to Sacramento for questioning where he shocked the agents with what he confessed to during the interrogations. Cary confessed to the decapitation of Armstrong as well as the murders of the other three victims and his involvement in sending the note.

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11. The Yosemite Killer Was Suspected of Other Homicides

The arrest of Cary Anthony Stayner led to the revelation of more hidden secrets even though they were not proven. He was suspected of playing a role in several other homicides and the disappearance of others, with four being known. Investigators believed that other offenders similar to Cary started these violent crimes from a younger age. This made the detectives believe that he was involved in other murders.

12. Cary’s First Suspected Murder Was Of A Young Woman Who Had Testified A Cult Leader

28-year-old Patricia Marie “Patty” Hicks Dahlstrom had decided to join a cult led by Donald Gibson. It was believed that the cult leaders and some close allies used to sexually assault their female members which led to the defection of Patricia. Gibson was arrested alongside his followers and Patricia decided to leave the cult.

Cary and Gibson were acquitted of the accusation in 1981. On 28^th June 1983, a severed arm and hand belonging to Patricia was found at Yosemite National Park with a skull being discovered too. It is believed that Cary murdered Patricia in retaliation for her testimony against Gibson.

13. The Yosemite Killer is Believed to Have Murdered His Uncle Who Had Molested Him

42-year-old Jesse Jerrold Stayner was shot dead in his house using his shotgun on 26^th December 1990. Cary was the main suspect in this murder after he was arrested.

It is believed that the murder of Jesse was a form of revenge for what he had done to him at the age of 11. The Yosemite Killer made a claim that Jesse had molested him during the time his brother was kidnapped.

14. His Third Suspected Victim Was Badly Mutilated & Her Head Never Found

The Yosemite Killer’s third suspected victim’s severed hands were found in October 1994 near a reservoir in the New Melones. Months later on 13^th December 1994, a handless and headless torso was found off Camp 9 Road.

The previously found arms matched the torso and forensics revealed that it was 24-year-old Sharalyn Mavonne Murphy. What shocked many is that her head has never been found. Cary is the suspect in this murder because of the similarities between the murder of Sharalyn and Armstrong’s murder.

15. The Fourth Suspected Victim Was A 20-year-old Michael Larry

The Yosemite Killer’s fourth suspected victim was Michael Larry Madden who had planned to meet his friends at Sand Bar Flat Campground. On 10^th August 1996, he left his home to join his friends for fishing and camping but he was never seen again. It is believed that Cary was behind the murder of Michael Larry too.

Cary Anthony Stayner was tried in California, a federal state for the murder of Armstrong which he pleaded guilty to avoid a death sentence. During the trial, he broke out in tears and claimed how sorry he was for the murder with his apology being accepted by Armstrong’s mother. However, he was found guilty and handed a life sentence without parole. He was also found guilty of the other murders and handed a death sentence, and he is on death row at San Quentin State Prison since 2002.

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